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E-6 pay lookup
Monthly E-6 basic pay for any year of service, 2026 and projected 2027.
E-6 basic pay, 10 years
$4,759.50
a month in 2026 · $57,114 a year
- Per paycheck (twice a month)
- $2,379.75
- Per hour (2,080-hour year)
- $27.46
- 2027 with a 6% raise (projected)
- $5,045.07
- Monthly increase
- $285.57
Basic pay only: BAH, BAS and special pays are on top. 2027 figures apply the January 1, 2027 raise in the President’s alternative pay plan; DFAS publishes the final table in December.
Independent estimate tool. Not affiliated with DoD, DFAS or VA. Your LES, finance office or VA decision letter is the official amount.
E-6 pay chart 2026
E-6 pay keeps rising every two years until 18 years of service. Most E-6s have 6 to 12 years in.[em]
| Years of service | Monthly | Yearly | Projected Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $3,401.10 | $40,813 | $3,605.17 |
| Over 2 | $3,743.10 | $44,917 | $3,967.69 |
| Over 3 | $3,908.10 | $46,897 | $4,142.59 |
| Over 4 | $4,068.90 | $48,827 | $4,313.03 |
| Over 6 | $4,235.70 | $50,828 | $4,489.84 |
| Over 8 | $4,612.80 | $55,354 | $4,889.57 |
| Over 10 | $4,759.50 | $57,114 | $5,045.07 |
| Over 12 | $5,043.30 | $60,520 | $5,345.90 |
| Over 14 | $5,130.30 | $61,564 | $5,438.12 |
| Over 16 | $5,193.60 | $62,323 | $5,505.22 |
| Over 18 | $5,267.70 | $63,212 | $5,583.76 |
E-6 BAH at major bases
Housing allowance often adds as much as basic pay. 2026 BAH for an E-6 at a sample of installations[bah]:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA | $2,919 | $2,199 |
| Bremerton, WA | $2,730 | $2,169 |
| Monterey, CA | $3,867 | $3,054 |
| Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD | $2,742 | $2,076 |
| Quantico/Woodbridge, VA | $3,174 | $2,523 |
| Hampton/Newport News, VA | $2,421 | $1,905 |
| Fort Gordon, GA | $2,157 | $1,731 |
| Fort Rucker, AL | $1,743 | $1,317 |
Any other duty station: BAH calculator.
E6 take-home pay at JBLM
A married E-6 over 10 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (married filing jointly, 5% traditional TSP) takes home about $7,338.55 a month. Washington has no state income tax on wages. The breakdown: $4,759.50 basic pay, $2,919 BAH, $476.95 BAS, minus $183.82 federal tax, $364.10 FICA, $237.98 TSP and $31 SGLI. Change any input in the military pay estimator.
E6 vs E7 pay and retirement
Promotion to E-7 adds $548.40 a month at 12 years. It matters for retirement too: retired pay is based on the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay, so retiring as an E-7 instead of an E-6 at 20 years raises a High-3 pension by about $454.80 a month. Model it in the military retirement calculator.
Previous grade: E5 pay.
E-6 rank titles by branch
| Service | Title |
|---|---|
| Army | Staff Sergeant |
| Navy / Coast Guard | Petty Officer First Class |
| Air Force / Space Force | Technical Sergeant |
| Marine Corps | Staff Sergeant |
All of them earn the same pay; see which branch pays the most for where the differences come from, and the full 2026 military pay chart for every grade.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an E6 make in 2026?
$4,235.70 a month over 6 years, $4,759.50 over 10 and $5,267.70 after 18 years, before allowances.
How much does an E6 make a year?
About $57,114 in basic pay over 10 years, plus BAH and BAS that are often worth $25,000 to $50,000 a year tax-free.
What raise will E6s get in 2027?
6% under the President’s alternative pay plan for grades E-6 to O-3, effective January 1, 2027, unless Congress sets a different rate.
Sources
- Basic Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026
- BAH Rate Lookup and 2026 BAH rate files (all locations, all pay grades, ASCII)
- Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) rates
- H. Doc. 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments … for Members of the Armed Forces in January 2027
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods